Book Description

"I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am" - John Newton John Newton was born July 24, 1725 in London to a godly mother and an irreligious, sea-faring father. His mother died when he was six. Left mainly to himself, Newton became a degenerate sailor-a miserable outcast on the coast of West Africa for two years; a slave-trading sea-captain until an epileptic seizure halted his career. Most Christians are aware of John Newton as the author one of the greatest hymns of the faith: "Amazing Grace" written after his remarkable conversion to Christ. Less well-known is Newton's significance in his own day as an evangelical icon, a powerful preacher and theologian, and important influence on abolitionist William Wilberforce. Newton and his wife Mary had no children of their own, but adopted his two orphaned nieces, Elizabeth and Eliza Catlett. Here is a revealing collection of his 28 collected letters to his adopted daughter Elizabeth ("Betsy") while she was away at school This correspondence provides fresh insights into the mind, heart and legacy of one of the most important Christians of the 18th Century.